


Almost Gone

by Quinnion



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam is just a mention, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Flustered Shiro (Voltron), Friends to Lovers, Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Inspirational Speeches, Love Confessions, M/M, Missing Scene, Near Death Experiences, Past Relationship(s), Pining Keith (Voltron), Rough Kissing, Season 7 Spoilers, Worried Shiro (Voltron), will make you cry too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 20:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16126457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: “Keith, I...I can’t explain how grateful I am that you’re okay,” his voice is strained and he struggles to maintain eye contact, his eyes darting back and forth,“When I found you, I-”“Shiro,” Keith interrupts him, his voice soft albeit weak, “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. I know that you were worried and-”“No,” Shiro shakes his head, “It’s not just that. It’s more than that and I need to tell you this, okay?” he says desperately, his grip on Keith’s hand tightening. His expression serious, Keith nods silently, waiting for him to continue.Or when Shiro saves Keith from the crash after their battle on Earth, he has an important realization and hopes it's not too late to reveal it to Keith





	Almost Gone

**Author's Note:**

> I uhhhh know this fic has probably been done a lot before and I'm pretty late for That Train (I got very busy with college and seeing my boyfriend) but I know there a lot of you out there that don't mind reading the same trope over and over again so I wrote this anyways! It's pretty short but I put a lot of thought into it and I hope you guys enjoy it!

His eyes lock onto the blazing purple light plunging across the sky, holding his breath as it gets farther and farther away. Five distinct clouds of smoke and dust rise up, forming a circle around the Atlas, and all Shiro can hear is the ringing in his ears. 

-ptain!” he hears someone shout, registering a firm touch to his arm but he doesn’t look, still staring at the spot where the Black Lion crashed. He finally exhales and clenches his fists, letting out a shaky breath before he speaks out.

“Send rescue teams to the crash sites!” he orders suddenly, “Our first priority is bringing the Paladins to safety!” he exclaims before rushing out of the control room. He doesn’t know where he’s going, just letting his body maneuver down hallways and elevators, unable to explain the pull leading him. 

Shiro ends up in the shuttle bay, immediately boarding the nearest one and grabbing the controls. He flies it out of the Atlas at full speed, grunting as he hits the ground roughly before the ship hovers over it again. 

His heart is stuck in his throat and pounding wildly, his eyes stinging and making it hard to see his path but he just keeps on heading toward the crash site. Shiro has never rode across the desert this recklessly, narrowly avoiding rock outcrops and crevices. 

He sucks in a sharp breath, his lips dry, when he sees the Black Lion in the distance and strains the engine, pushing it to its limit, “Please...be okay, Keith,” he chokes out, his voice like sandpaper. 

The lion is on its side, limp with its eyes dark and lifeless. The metal is worn and steaming from its recent rentree into the atmosphere, dust billowing around the shallow crater. Shiro jerks the controls and the ship yanks to the side, scraping against the ground. He jumps out of the shuttle before it even comes to a full stop and stumbles down towards the Black Lion, nearly tripping on loose rocks.

“Keith!” he screams at the top of his lungs, swearing he can feel his larynx tear, as he sprints to the head of the lion, panting hard. He manages to force the heavy jaw open, thanks to his new arm, and rushes inside, his eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness. 

Frantically feeling his way around the cockpit and squinting, Shiro quickly makes his way to the chair where Keith is slumped onto his side, his head hanging forward. He cradles his head carefully and lifts it up, frowning deeper when he feels warm liquid drip onto his skin. 

Shiro can finally make out Keith’s face and gasps in horror when he sees the helmet is broken, practically beyond repair, shards of glass embedded in his cheek and forehead with drying blood caking his face and hair. Shiro does his best to keep his hands from trembling as he slowly removes the helmet, tossing it aside, and puts pressure on the worst of his head injuries, trying to stop the bleeding.

He finally lets himself cry, hot tears rolling down his face and causing his eyes to sting more. He chokes out an ugly sound, his throat aching the way it only does when he cries, and slowly presses two fingers under his jaw.

The pulse is faint, Shiro barely able to feel it, but it’s there, fluttering under his fingers. He cries harder and slowly lifts Keith out of his seat, “You’ll be okay, baby. I’ll take care of you,” he whispers, his voice shaky. Shiro’s legs feel like jelly under him but he still makes his way out of the lion. 

By now, the rescue teams have been sent out and he can see several large shuttles and emergency vehicles heading towards him. Shiro holds Keith bridal style, his weight against his chest, and ignores the feeling of blood on his hands, still pressing it against his head.

Despite his urgency and panic, Shiro walks towards the oncoming vehicles slowly, not wanting to jostle Keith’s body and cause him more pain than he’s already in. Time moves quickly and he barely registers the arrival of the medics, his heart throbbing painfully when he’s forced to give Keith over to them. 

Shiro doesn’t respond to officers, barely hearing them ask him questions. The sounds of sirens fill his ears as he feels worry and dread and grief wash over him. He isn’t religious but he prays anyways, hoping someone will hear him.

_____________________________________________________

“-shine that light onto a new path for future generations,” Shiro’s voice travels across the large crowd as he allows his emotions to come through with his words, “Today is a solemn day, but it is also a day of hope. Earth is now stronger than ever and it stands as a beacon of light to help guide those fighting against tyranny and oppression. From here, we will spread peace, and together we will hold strong...as the defenders of the universe.”

He pants softly and, after a moment of silence, the crowd bursts into a deafening applause, a faint smile coming to Shiro’s lips. Iverson approaches him from the side of the stage, proudly sporting four stripes on his uniform instead of three, and Shiro saluts him.

“The Galaxy Garrison awards you this Medal of Honor and bestoys on you the title of Captain Takashi Shirogane, leader of the Atlas,” Iverson says as he opens the black box he’s holding, revealing a brass medal shaped like a star, “for your outstanding bravery, leadership and service to the people of Earth.”

Warmth blooms through Shiro’s chest even though he knows the medal isn’t worth anything, it still feels wonderful to be honored for what he’s done. Iverson holds out the medal and Shiro bends down slightly as he drapes it around his neck.

He straightens up and touches the medal gently, “I’m honored to receive this, Admiral.”

Iverson chuckles and nods, “You certain deserve it, Captain, as do the Paladins,” he says before he moves onto the next Lieutenant on the line, being handed another box from a lower ranking officer.

Shiro stands proudly with his hands behind his back, his medal shining as it reflects rays of sunlight, while the crowd continues to cheer. He spots a medical official approaching the stage, looking rather rushed, and immediately moves to meet her at the bottom of the steps.

“Are they awake, Doctor?” he asks nervously, clenching his fists at his sides, “I-Is Keith awake?

The doctor smiles reassuringly, “Yes, they’ve all just woken up and seem to be stable,” she replies as she gestures for him to follow alongside her, leading him to the infirmary on board the Atlas. A sigh of relief passes through Shiro’s ljps. 

The moment Shiro arrives, he finds Keith’s room and knocks gently before opening the door. Krolia stands up but relaxes when she recognizes him, Kolivan watching from his spot near the window. Keith turns his head and grins tiredly when he sees Shiro, opening his mouth to say something.

“Oh thank God you’re okay,” Shiro beats him to it and rushes to his side, looking at the bandages wrapped around his head, “How’s your head feeling?” he asks, the sight of blood dripping down Keith’s neck and shoulder flashing before his eyes. 

Reaching his hand up to touch the bandages, Keith smile faintly, “Not too bad, it hurts a bit but they have me on some painkillers.” He makes an attempt to sit up but Shiro helps him before he can do it himself, thanking him quietly.

“I missed your speech but Kolivan and my mom told me it was really good,” Keith says, “And congratulations on your promotion and medal, Captain,” he says with a sly smile.

Shiro blushes lightly at the title, not used to it yet, especially coming out of Keith’s mouth, “T-thank you. I’m glad it went well. Guess all those motivational speeches were working me to this one,” he says with a chuckle, earning a faint laugh from Keith.

He reaches his hand out and takes Keith’s gently, lacing their fingers together; he doesn’t fail to notice the blush on the younger man’s cheeks. “Keith I-” he cuts himself off and glances at Kolivan and Krolia, both already having stood up the moment they noticed the shift in Shiro’s behavior.

“We’ll give you two some privacy,” Kolivan says before they both leave the room. Shiro gives them a thankful smile and turns to look back at Keith, his heart clenching when he squeezes his hand.

“Keith, I...I can’t explain how grateful I am that you’re okay,” his voice is strained and he struggles to maintain eye contact, his eyes darting back and forth,“When I found you, I-”

“Shiro,” Keith interrupts him, his voice soft albeit weak, “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. I know that you were worried and-”

“No,” Shiro shakes his head, “It’s not just that. It’s more than that and I need to tell you this, okay?” he says desperately, his grip on Keith’s hand tightening. His expression serious, Keith nods silently, waiting for him to continue. 

He takes a deep breath before he keeps going, “When I found you, I was thought you were gone at first...I thought I lost you like-” he whispers, his voice cracking, “And I-I couldn’t deal with the thought of life without you and I realized-”

Shiro feels a few tears escape his eyes and wipes them away quickly, not able to remember the last time he allowed himself to be so openly emotional with another person, “And I realized how important you are to me and how much I care about you.”

Keith feels his own eyes start to water, his face red and his heart seizing up in his chest, “S-Shiro,” he whispers, squeezing his hand, “I care about you too. So much.” He hesitantly opens his arms, “C’mere,” he mumbles.

The moment he realizes Keith is asking for a hug, Shiro moves into the embrace and wraps his arms around him, his prosthetic hand much larger on his back than his other one. He rests his chin on Keith’s shoulder and relaxes as he feels the other rub his back, feeling slightly guilty since he’s the one that should be comforting Keith, not the other way around. 

Letting his eyes flutter closed, Keith leans against the pillow propped up behind him and enjoys the warm and weight of Shiro’s body. He can feel him breathing against his neck and collarbone, the small hairs on his skin raising up at the sensation.

Shiro lets out a particularly heavy sigh before mumbling against him, his head still tucked away, “At least this time I was the one saving you,” he says with a chuckle.

A grin spreads over Keith’s face and he slowly moves his hand up to Shiro’s head, running his fingers over the short hair at the back, “I’ve just been paying you back for all you’ve done for me. I can’t imagine the life I would have had if you weren’t always there for me,” he replies, “So now we’re even.”

Shiro is silent for a moment before he pulls back enough to be able to look Keith in the eye, “Keith…” he whispers, “I know you probably didn’t mean it like this, but I love you too. As a friend and a brother but also...also so much more than that.”

Keith meets his gaze and he starts at him in shock, his eyes wide and quickly glazing over with tears, “I-”

“I hope this doesn’t change things between us,” Shiro cuts him off, having looked down right after his confession, “and if you want to forget I ever said that, I’d be-”

“You’re so fucking stupid,” Keith interrupts him with a shake of his head, much to Shiro’s shock. Before he can reply, Keith grabs him by the collar of his uniform, tugs him forward roughly, and smashes their lips together in a too-hard, hungry kiss. He clenches the fabric so tight his knuckles turn white and he slots their lips together as Shiro struggles to respond.

His mouth finally catches up to his brain and he presses forward, meeting Keith’s desperate need. Shiro wraps his arms around the smaller man, carefully cradling his head with his large hand and letting the other cup his waist. Keith smiles into the kiss and nips at Shiro’s lip playfully, pulling a laugh from him. 

Their embrace bursts with repressed desire and a need to cling onto what they each thought was gone. Keith fingers cling onto Shiro’s torso, practically clawing at him to bring him closer and the other readily complies.

Both their breathing is ragged and Shiro forces him to pull back out of fear that if they keep going they won’t be able to stop. Keith’s pout almost brings him back and he laughs, “You’re still injured. We finally have all the time in the world so don’t worry.”

Keith seems satisfied with that and takes Shiro’s human hand, smiling when he immediately laces their fingers together. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he sighs as he leans back against the pillow..

“I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up to you,” Shiro says with a sad smile, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Keith shakes his head, a few strands of hair falling over his face, “Don’t worry about it. You needed time dealing with everything that happened to you and...Adam too. I think it’s a good thing this happened now and not back then. I don’t think I would have been ready.”

Shiro’s stomach flutters at that, proud of how much Keith has grown, and he nods in agreement, “Yeah, we’re ready for each other now,” he says as he reaches out, tucking the stray hairs back into place.

Keith cocks his brow and tugs Shiro closer, holding his chin between his thumb and index fingers, “Ready or not Shiro, I’m finally going to get you,” he purrs. 

A deep blush spreads over Shiro’s face and he sputters, suddenly very flustered by Keith’s low voice and his teasing smirk, “I-I’m ready...You’ve already got me, anyways.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!


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